The U.S. aircraft register, updated daily
Plan a flight · Sun 11:35 pm EDT (03:35 UTC)

Columbia Metro Airport to Los Angeles International CAE → LAX

1,847 nautical miles (2,125 statute miles) west on a straight line, true course 281°, about 288° magnetic at the departure end (variation 7W). At 120 knots that is 17 h 46 min at the quickest height in today's winds (4,500 ft, a 16-knot headwind), arriving about 2:21 pm PDT (21:21 UTC). For planning, not a briefing: the legal preflight briefing comes from Flight Service (1-800-WX-BRIEF) or the FAA's own tools. Airlines fly this pair: 5 flights in the DOT's last twelve reported months, the route's page.

The return flight

The route the straight line, the warnings crossed, restrictions, pilot reports and the airports along the way · click a mark for its words

Green, blue, red and purple airport dots are the flying conditions reported there now (VFR, marginal VFR, IFR, low IFR); grey means no report. Red areas are SIGMETs, orange areas AIRMETs, hatched red areas temporary flight restrictions. Map tiles: OpenFreeMap, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Warnings the route crosses SIGMETs and AIRMETs whose area the line passes through or comes within 25 nm of

  • SIGMET 3C: thunderstorms (a convective SIGMET) up to 30,000 ft, moving from the southwest at 30 knots, until 12:55 am EDT (04:55 UTC). Over the route from 1148 to 1198 nm out.
    as issued
    WSUS32 KKCI 120255
    MKCC WST 120255
    CONVECTIVE SIGMET 3C
    VALID UNTIL 0455Z
    TX NM
    FROM 50SE CIM-70WNW MRF-30W ELP-10W FTI-50SE CIM
    AREA TS MOV FROM 22030KT. TOPS TO FL300.
  • SIGMET W11W: thunderstorms (a convective SIGMET) up to 34,000 ft, moving from the southwest at 40 knots, until 12:55 am EDT (04:55 UTC). Near the route, 1318 nm along the route.
    as issued
    WSUS33 KKCI 120255
    MKCW WST 120255
    CONVECTIVE SIGMET 11W
    VALID UNTIL 0455Z
    CO NM
    FROM 20WNW PUB-10ENE CIM-50WNW ABQ-30NNE DVC-20WNW PUB
    AREA TS MOV FROM 22040KT. TOPS TO FL340.
  • AIRMET SIERRA 4E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 150 to 180 nm out.
  • AIRMET SIERRA 3E: low cloud or poor visibility (IFR conditions) (due to ceilings below 1,000 ft, visibility below 3 miles, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 220 to 290 nm out.
  • AIRMET TANGO 3W: low-level wind shear (due to air speed loss or gain of 20 knots or more below 2,000 ft above the ground). Near the route, 1128 nm along the route.
  • AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft up to 18,000 ft. Over the route from 1128 to 1537 nm out.
  • AIRMET TANGO 2W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 35,000 ft to 45,000 ft. Over the route from 1138 to 1537 nm out.
  • AIRMET SIERRA 1E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 1477 to 1607 nm out.
  • AIRMET SIERRA 2E: low cloud or poor visibility (IFR conditions) (due to ceilings below 1,000 ft, visibility below 3 miles, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 1497 to 1517 nm out.
  • AIRMET ZULU 2C: moderate icing up to 23,000 ft. Over the route from 1617 to 1707 nm out.
  • AIRMET TANGO 1W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) up to 15,000 ft. Over the last 200 nm of the route.

A SIGMET warns of weather hazardous to all aircraft; an AIRMET of weather that matters to small aircraft and to flying without instruments. "From 60 to 180 nm out" is measured along the route from CAE.

Pilot reports along the route within 50 nm of the line, last three hours, the serious ones first

Not fetched just now.

Winds aloft along the route, and the time en route the forecast for use 02:00–09:00 UTC · at 120 knots true airspeed

The westbound cruising heights for this course (VFR: even thousands plus 500 ft; above 18,000 ft the forecast levels), with the wind averaged along the line from the 17 forecast points nearest it (CAE, GSP, ATL, HSV, MEM, LIT, FSM, TUL, OKC, GAG, AMA, TCC, ABQ, FMN, PRC, BLH, ONT). A plus sign is a headwind, a minus sign a tailwind.

HeightAverage windHead- or tailwindTemperatureGround speedTime en routeArrival
4,500 ft230° at 19 kt+16 kt19 °C104 kt17 h 46 min2:21 pm PDT (21:21 UTC)
6,500 ft240° at 18 kt+17 kt14 °C103 kt17 h 56 min2:31 pm PDT (21:31 UTC)
8,500 ft240° at 18 kt+17 kt10 °C103 kt17 h 56 min2:31 pm PDT (21:31 UTC)
10,500 ft240° at 17 kt+17 kt8 °C103 kt17 h 56 min2:31 pm PDT (21:31 UTC)
12,500 ft240° at 18 kt+17 kt4 °C103 kt17 h 56 min2:31 pm PDT (21:31 UTC)
14,500 ft240° at 22 kt+20 kt0 °C100 kt18 h 28 min3:03 pm PDT (22:03 UTC)
16,500 ft240° at 25 kt+23 kt-4 °C97 kt19 h 02 min3:37 pm PDT (22:37 UTC)
18,000 ft FL180240° at 27 kt+25 kt-7 °C95 kt19 h 27 min4:02 pm PDT (23:02 UTC)
24,000 ft FL240240° at 35 kt+34 kt-18 °C86 kt21 h 29 min6:04 pm PDT (01:04 UTC)
30,000 ft FL300250° at 49 kt+49 kt-29 °C71 kt26 h 01 min10:36 pm PDT (05:36 UTC)
34,000 ft FL340260° at 50 kt+52 kt-38 °C68 kt27 h 10 min11:45 pm PDT (06:45 UTC)
39,000 ft FL390260° at 42 kt+44 kt-48 °C76 kt24 h 18 min8:53 pm PDT (03:53 UTC)

Based on data from the 12th at 00:00 UTC; valid on the 12th at 06:00 UTC for use 02:00 to 09:00 UTC; temperatures above 24,000 ft are below zero. Heights are above sea level; a height is left out when the forecast has no wind for it over most of the line (the ground is higher). Ground speed is the airspeed less the headwind; the time en route is for the straight line and ignores climb, descent and routing around weather.

The forecast points as issued
PointFrom3,0006,0009,00012,00018,00024,00030,00034,00039,000
CAEused from 0 nm out; 25 nm from the line330/15330/13 12°330/22 9°300/26 6°280/33 -7°270/38 -18°250/45 -33°240/46 -40°270/38 -49°
GSPused from 50 nm out; 48 nm from the line320/22340/19 13°320/18 8°310/24 5°300/34 -7°300/36 -18°290/30 -33°300/32 -39°320/42 -49°
ATLused from 100 nm out; 58 nm from the line320/30330/37 16°340/44 11°330/35 7°310/33 -6°300/38 -18°330/58 -33°330/48 -40°320/34 -49°
HSVused from 200 nm out; 59 nm from the line310/20330/20 16°320/27 11°340/23 5°320/23 -7°340/30 -17°320/50 -33°330/61 -41°340/41 -50°
MEMused from 349 nm out; 69 nm from the line230/19260/16 15°270/17 12°300/13 6°300/15 -5°300/26 -18°300/34 -32°300/41 -40°310/46 -52°
LITused from 499 nm out; 37 nm from the line220/21230/17 16°250/24 12°260/15 7°260/13 -5°280/25 -16°290/35 -30°300/42 -40°300/40 -52°
FSMused from 599 nm out; 36 nm from the line210/27250/23 16°250/20 13°240/17 8°250/18 -6°260/31 -16°280/42 -30°280/44 -40°290/38 -51°
TULused from 699 nm out; 54 nm from the line210/37240/29 17°260/15 14°260/11 7°240/22 -6°250/29 -16°270/45 -29°270/47 -40°280/44 -50°
OKCused from 749 nm out; 44 nm from the line200/44230/32 18°240/13 15°240/10 9°240/20 -5°250/27 -16°260/47 -28°270/48 -39°270/45 -50°
GAGused from 898 nm out; 55 nm from the line220/40 19°230/28 14°240/23 8°230/21 -6°240/31 -19°250/66 -29°260/58 -38°260/47 -49°
AMAused from 948 nm out; 46 nm from the line210/38230/29 14°240/29 7°220/27 -5°240/37 -18°240/66 -28°250/59 -37°260/47 -49°
TCCused from 1048 nm out; 40 nm from the line210/42230/33 14°230/32 6°220/35 -6°230/49 -19°240/72 -27°250/62 -36°250/52 -48°
ABQused from 1198 nm out; 38 nm from the line220/27 11°210/35 5°220/46 -9°230/62 -20°240/78 -25°240/80 -35°240/56 -47°
FMNused from 1348 nm out; 107 nm from the line220/28 9°220/40 2°220/53 -10°220/62 -22°230/79 -28°240/91 -34°230/71 -45°
PRCused from 1398 nm out; 124 nm from the line210/25 5°200/30 1°220/55 -10°220/61 -21°220/84 -28°230/90 -34°230/73 -45°
BLHused from 1597 nm out; 68 nm from the line210/13200/21 11°200/22 5°210/25 -1°210/51 -10°220/61 -20°220/81 -29°220/92 -34°220/79 -45°
ONTused from 1747 nm out; 34 nm from the line190/8190/19 6°210/23 4°210/29 -3°210/47 -13°210/49 -19°220/47 -30°220/50 -36°220/55 -43°

The weather now: both ends and the airports along the way public airports with a weather report within 25 nm of the line, one for each stretch

AirportWhereConditionsWindVisibilityCeilingElevationReported
CAE Columbia, SC departure no report just now 235 ft
AHN Athens, GA 110 nm out, 19 nm south of the line, tower no report just now 812 ft
HSV Huntsville, AL 280 nm out, 5 nm southwest of the line, tower no report just now 628 ft
OLV Olive Branch, MS 429 nm out, 4 nm west of the line, tower no report just now 401 ft
FSM Fort Smith, AR 659 nm out, 4 nm north of the line, tower no report just now 469 ft
OKC Oklahoma City, OK 819 nm out, 2 nm northeast of the line, tower no report just now 1,295 ft
AMA Amarillo, TX 1018 nm out, 9 nm south of the line, tower no report just now 3,606 ft
AEG Albuquerque, NM 1268 nm out, 2 nm south of the line, tower no report just now 5,837 ft
XNI Zuni, NM 1378 nm out, 4 nm northeast of the line no report just now 6,371 ft
PRC Prescott, AZ 1547 nm out, 4 nm south of the line, tower no report just now 5,045 ft
ONT Ontario, CA 1807 nm out, 1 nm southeast of the line, tower no report just now 944 ft
LAX Los Angeles, CA destination no report just now 127 ft

The highest airport on this list sits at 6,371 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.

At LAX when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 2:21 pm PDT (21:21 UTC)

LAX has no terminal forecast; use the nearest airport that does.

Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it

  • 6/8891 Bullhead City, AZ, Wednesday, October 14, 2026 Local 10 nm from the route, 1647 nm along the route · a VIP movement · starts Wednesday 14 October · ZLA
  • 4/3635 DISNEYLAND THEME PARK, ANAHEIM,, CA 10 nm from the route, at the destination end · security · ZLA

Daylight

Sunset at CAE 6:54 pm EDT (22:54 UTC), at LAX 6:23 pm PDT (01:23 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:48 pm PDT (01:48 UTC)).

Each restriction opens the FAA's own page with the exact area, heights and times. Ordinary notices to air missions (closed runways, lights out) are not shown: the FAA's notice search is not open to sites like this one at this time.

Radar and forecast charts for the regions crossed government pictures, the latest each time the page loads

Radar now, the Southeast
Radar now, the Southeast · loop National Weather Service
Radar now, the lower Mississippi valley
Radar now, the lower Mississippi valley · loop National Weather Service
Radar now, the southern Plains
Radar now, the southern Plains · loop National Weather Service
Radar, the whole country
Radar, the whole country · loop National Weather Service
Surface analysis now
Surface analysis now Weather Prediction Center
Forecast chart, 12 hours ahead
Forecast chart, 12 hours ahead Weather Prediction Center
Forecast chart, 24 hours ahead
Forecast chart, 24 hours ahead Weather Prediction Center

Sources: the Aviation Weather Center's data service (SIGMETs, AIRMETs, graphical AIRMETs, pilot reports, winds and temperatures aloft, observations and terminal forecasts), the National Weather Service radar, the Weather Prediction Center's charts, the FAA's temporary flight restriction list and shapes, and the FAA's airport file for the positions, elevations and magnetic variation. Fetched when the page is viewed and kept a few minutes. Each leg is the straight line between its two airports; airways, terrain and airspace are not considered. The airports in detail: Columbia Metro Airport, Los Angeles International.